The Golden Hour Chronicles - Book One: The City is on Fire

7:45 AM - Leo Franklin

From the front desk of Memorial Hospital, Leo could hear the rattled wheezing of his eldest patient. 74 year old, Kevin McDowell, was one of the oldest people living in the city. He had been around since the beginning. Leo couldn't even imagine the fear and the terror of that day. Of course Kevin had only been a kid. Even though the old man had preserved all of these hardships, he was still left laying alone in a broken hospital bed.

Leo understood what it felt like to be alone.

Surviving for long enough doesn't really get you anywhere, does it? When he had first started apprenticing under Dr. Mathers, he has felt special. Important almost. All 20 something's get there eventually. We have this feeling like we can change the world. Just our presence is a catalyst for good. But Leo's intentions had only gotten him a position as the head doctor of a broken health care system that really hadn't ever been fixed. And when Leo said broken, he meant literally broken. Nothing worked. Everything was in shambles. He used a cup the other day to listen to a young boys lungs.

Leo looked around the front desk and stretched his head from side to side with a yawn. He had been at this all night. Luckily Mr. McDowell was his only patient. Most didn't come in unless it was serious. What else could he give them other than his professional opinion...and how professional was that really? Leo chuckled to himself and sat up from the desk. Had he heard Mr. McDowell recently?

"Mr. McDowell?" Leo bellowed down the hallway.

There was a pause before a raspy voice echoed back, "An old man is trying to get some shut eye in here!"

"Just checking," Leo responded as he heard the front door open of the hospital and turned around.

Mr. McDowell grumbled as Leo watched a young girl rush in and place a package on the front desk. 

"Good morning Rachel," Leo smiled as he pulled out a pair of scissors and began opening up the box.

Rachel was a young tan skinned girl of 12. She was sweet and always wore her hair in a lose braid. Her post office hat was too big for her head but she refused to make deliveries without it.

"You catch any exciting news this morning?"

Rachel was extra focused this morning, because before he could even finish his question, she was bouncing out the door with the high energy she always channels.

"Food tickets are being distributed this morning. You know what happened last month?" Rachel said nonchalantly.

Leo rolled his eyes, "All too well."

Who could forget the knock out drag out that ensued between Jimmy and Dylan.

Leo knew food was growing scarce after the crops failed to grow that summer, but he hadn't realized how bad the situation was. Honestly he still doesn't really know? Leo is stuck in the hospital all day. He doesn't get to be in charge of the market or food distribution and he's definitely not part of the city's militia who are responsible for scavenging local areas outside of the city, not that he would want to be responsible for those things anyways.

You need rain and water for crops to grow and that's the one thing that they have been lacking. Luckily the cool Fall air had made the temperature outside more bearable, but it felt like it was growing colder every day. The seasonal ups and downs we're getting about as extreme as the acts of aggression that we're silently taking place on the street. It felt more dog eat dog everyday.

Like clockwork, Leo watched Rachel stiffen as she opened the door and almost bumped into a pair of soldiers policing the street.

The two soldiers towered over the young girl. Their dark mismatched camouflaged outfits blending right into the overgrown downtown street.

"Watch where you are going," one soldier barked, a semi automatic in his hands.

"Sorry," Rachel whimpered as she froze in place and looked down at the ground.

"What do you have in your bag, little girl?" one soldier ordered unprofessionally. He cackled as he watched the other soldier grin and use his machine gun to try and nudge the bag off the girls shoulder.

Leo hurried over and placed his hand on Rachel's shoulder, holding the bag in place.

The soldiers looked up to see the large frame of Leo and stepped back nervously.

"Get back to work girl," one soldier chimed in as they shot Leo one last dirty look and headed down the block in the direction of Market Square.

"You okay?" Leo whispered to the young girl who was still frozen in shock.

Rachel nodded quickly and without missing a beat, took off into the street heading in the opposite direction.

Leo stood outside on the block and looked in the direction Rachel was hurrying. The Kings Tower stood at the far end of the street, a few blocks away. Leo watched as the morning sun glistened off of the high rise. The golden top shining the brightest.

Leo sighed and wondered what the day would bring. He worried it may end up being a busy day.